Broken Kaleidoscope
by loneangel1016
Summary: SasuHina. “You kissed me.” he said, his voice dead-pan. She did a double take. “I'm sorry, what?” “I said, you kissed me. On the river. When you were 'saving' me." he explained. "...It was a violation of my personal space."
1. Prologue

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Prologue

* * *

Butterflies.

One of the land's most beautiful creatures. Blessed with such splendor and beauty, they flutter away from every forest or meadow; constantly showing the world with grace…

With such beauty, they fascinate even the loneliest of souls; thus, the myth of the butterflies had begun.

It was said that once you caught a butterfly, you could wish upon it and it will carry your wish to heavens so it can come true…

And this is where our story begins -- in a delicate butterfly, which carries a wish from a girl, whom all her life had suffered the pain of loneliness and despair.

Then, after a day of journey, the butterfly finally ends its course. Though, instead of the heavens, it stops at the hand of a boy who, hopefully, will make the girl's wish come true.

Two strangers now bound together by a wish made on a butterfly.

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Yuri-chan's note: Revised version of my first fic. Please continue reading, reviewing and, hopefully, enjoying.


	2. Chapter 1

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Chapter One

* * *

The city of Konoha is one of the hidden villages found in the country of Fire. It is gifted with a colorful history and is home to a few prestigious clans carrying their own special bloodline technique.

But let us save Konoha for later and take focus on the forest surrounding the city. Beyond the vast green of the treetops, lies beautiful scenery: a meadow full of flowers and a lake that stretches on near the bottom of the mountain. It is one of those postcard-worthy sites that will greatly appeal to you. Though it always gave a cheerful and lively vibe, it now gives an aura of sadness and aloneness.

For there, in a boulder facing the lake, sits a girl of pale skin and snow white eyes so warm and yet so full of sadness. Her name was Hyuga Hinata, the first daughter and main heiress of the Hyuga clan's byakugan bloodline. Sadly, she did not meet her father's expectations in her physical and spiritual abilities; thus, her lack of confidence and self- esteem. Due to her family's pressure and the pain of rejection from her father, she grew up to being a timid and lonely girl.

* * *

It was a typical routine for me.

Every morning I go to this deserted haven, sit down on this rock, feel sorry for myself and endlessly ask myself a million 'why couldn't I?'-type of questions. I thought and thought and thought of things I could possibly (1) do, (2) achieve, and (3) become if I wasn't the girl I am now, which made me feel better, knowing that I could be great, if brought myself to the necessary changes.

'_Today is certainly going to be different though.' _I tell myself as, truth be told, I was simply growing tired of blaming myself each and every single day.

I suppressed a smile. Naruto-kun must have been rubbed off me.

'_Oh my gosh!_' I gasped, looking at my watch. _'I'm late for Kurenai-sensei's training!' _and hurriedly climb off the boulder I was sitting on. As I paced through the meadow, a fairly typical sight caught my eye…

A butterfly, with wings flooded with the most delicate colors imaginable, was landing on a pink blossom nearby. While I slowly marveled the serene sight before me -- Kurenai-sensei conveniently forgotten -- pieces of my past began on unfolding itself clearly on my mind. And I suddenly found myself thinking of my late mother…

* * *

"_Okasan! Come on! Hurry!"__ 5-year-old Hyuga Hinata called as she ran around the beautiful meadow surveying the sights surrounding her._

"_Hai, hai. My, aren't you exited today, Hina-chan." __Said a lady with snow-white eyes and slender outline. She was about to sit down in the soft green grass when she heard a soft __THUMP__ and distinct sobs coming from her daughter._

"_Hina-chan!"__ she exclaimed as she ran towards her daughter. __"Are you__alright ,honey? Does anything hurt?"__ She questioned while examining her daughter for cuts or bruises. _

"_H-hai…" Hinata whimpered between her sobs. "It h-hurts-ss…" as she slowly lifted her tiny little hand to show a deep cut in her finger._

"_Now, now."__ Her mother assured. __"There's no need to cry little one… It's just a little cut and if you want mommy will kiss it to make it feel better…" __and she softly kissed her finger to make her calm down._

_But seeing that her daughter managed to calm down, and still spotting a few tears made the kind Hyuga worried. She glanced around their surroundings hoping to find a distraction for the little girl. And when her eyes fell on the pretty butterfly nearby she knew she had found the solution to her problem._

"_Ne, ne, Hina-chan."__ Her mother nudged her slightly. __"Do you see that__thing over there?" __as she pointed directly to the butterfly._

"_Ah! How pretty! What is it, Okasan?" __the little Hyuga asked._

"_It is a butterfly, my dear."__ Her mother simply explained. __"and do you want to hear a story about them?"_

_And when Hinata nodded enthusiastically, her mother proceeded in the telling the story about the butterflies and wishes coming true… As her mother told her the story, Hinata's eyes grew in wonder and she continued in daydreaming the possible things that could happen. _

* * *

"It'll come true, huh?" she muttered softly.

When she was little she used to believe that particular story but as the years passed by she didn't believe it anymore. Though, at that very moment, she believed. She did not know how or why. She just felt it.

Then, like a sudden ray of hope, she slowly brought her hand near the flower so the butterfly could fly on it. As she held the delicate being in her hand, she said something to it so softly, that the only being that can hear it is the butterfly itself. And when she was done, she raised her hand carefully and looked at it until it was far, far away in the forest…

She smiled as she whispered softly to the wind… "Well, I've got nothing to lose, right?"

And she silently walked to their group's meeting place, unaware of the events that are about to happen in the days to come.

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Yuri-chan's note: Reviewers are very much appreciated. Thank you!


	3. Chapter 2

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

Konoha's training grounds. It is filled with sturdy trees that can withstand any powerful blow and wide-open spaces perfect for sparring and practicing some jutsus. And through the years it had witnessed the development of the village's most prized shinobis. Their perseverance, their failures, all which made them what they are today.

And speaking of prized shinobis, two of them are now running through a tough sparring session. The older one goes by the name Hatake Kakashi. His left eye, which was covered, wields the sharingan, a bloodline technique limited only to the noble clan of Uchiha. It allows one to copy moves and techniques. Although he may not look like it, this silver-haired jounin has been dubbed as the infamous 'copy ninja' and is feared yet respected by his adversaries.

The younger one, Uchiha Sasuke is one of the two remaining members of the Uchiha line. The other one is his elder brother, Uchiha Itachi, who was responsible for the murder of the whole clan. Sasuke had requested Kakashi to train him, knowing that the latter was more experienced in using the sharingan and chidori. For him, it is essential that his knowledge about the sharingan will widen more and serve, hopefully, as a step towards defeating Itachi.

They have gone training earlier than usual that day. And as Kakashi had expected, they have begun to tire and run out of chakra before sundown (a little early for people who was used to training up to the middle of the night).

"Why don't we call it a day?" Kakashi suggested. "It's nearly dinner time and we haven't had lunch yet. A proper diet is also a part of a good training routine, you know."

"Che." The young Uchiha scowled. "I'm not yet hungry and my chakra level is still good. I want to continue."

His sensei smirked. "Don't lie to me. My chakra is already spent. And may I remind you that I have more chakra than you? So why don't we just retire early?"

"I'd rather not. I prefer just to rest here and train a little bit more. If you want, you can leave me here. I'm not a kid anymore, you know."

"Yeah. So it seems." Kakashi smiled knowingly. "Well, knowing that you've made up your mind, I guess I'll head back home. A bowl of delicious chicken teriyaki is calling my name. Same time tomorrow?"

"Whatever."

As his sensei's footsteps faded away, Sasuke continued training himself until midnight when his body surrendered to the fatigue and stress he had undergone. He quietly walked back to his house, ignored his stomach's pleading and promptly collapsed at his bed.

* * *

The next day, was fairly typical again for Sasuke. He went again thru his routine.

He wakes up.

Takes a bath.

Gets dressed.

Eats breakfast.

Brushes teeth.

Locks the house.

Goes to training grounds.

Waits for Kakashi.

Curses Kakashi and his lateness.

And so on and so forth.

Though he expects Kakashi to be there an hour late like he always does, Kakashi never showed up. Cursing, he went to the main training ground and proceeded in training with or without Kakashi. About a couple of hours or so, he finally became exhausted and sat down on the nearest tree.

* * *

"Damn it." I cursed yet again for the nth time this morning. I scanned the area for signs of Kakashi only to find a scroll that I didn't notice the hour before, next to a tree stump.

**_Yo._**

**_Tsunade gave a supposed-to-be A-rank mission to the jounins. Expect me later in the afternoon._**

_**Kakashi.** _

I cursed. _So much for an hour wasted. "_Now whose gonna teach me how to use the sharingan properly?" I felt my frustration rise inside my body. I tried to calm my nerves by thinking of the possible sparring partners for today.

I slowly reflected. Digging deeply in my memory of the strong shinobis that I have encountered.

_Naruto?_ Out training with the perverted, yet powerful sannin Jiraiya.

_Neji?_ Possible. But I heard his out on a mission, the lucky bastard.

_Lee?_ Still recovering from his operation…

_Shino?_ Also out on a mission.

_Shikamaru?_ Smart but lazy.

_Chouji?_ A food-obsessed idiot. And way too fat.

_Kiba?_ Another idiot-and-a-half.

_Gaara?_ Hmn… Maybe. But then again… The Sand village is too far.

Damn it.

And so I continued in training. It was only a couple of hours after noon when I stopped to take a break. Breathing hard, I leaned against a tree trunk. As the minutes passed slowly, I felt something move slowly to my direction. I quickly gazed at the foreign object and saw that it was...

"Only a butterfly." I muttered as I once again relaxed my tensed muscles. I gotta learn how to relax. I'm starting to get paranoid.

I tried to loosen up but for some unknown reason, I couldn't concentrate. I opened my eyes again and focused on the butterfly.

As the creature's delicate wings danced in the sunlight, I felt myself smile serenely as what I was witnessing reminded me of my beloved mother.

"Okaasan..." I murmured as I slowly lifted my hand to touch the butterfly.

As my finger got in contact with the delicate creature, my world started spinning madly and a soft, angelic murmur floated in the air.

"_I wish for someone who will love and accept me for me. That's all I ask."_

As the world suddenly gone to a complete stop, ghosts of sad and painful memories suddenly appeared around me. Weird translucent beings, which appeared out of nowhere, come and go without even noticing me. They continue on working and talking to each other, then all of a sudden, age and grow old as seconds pass by. The unusual thing was, these memories were not even mine. No sound could be heard except for the delicate voice that kept on echoing the same words over and over again.

Though the scenes were very foreign to me, the atmosphere was incredibly familiar… It had the same aura of loneliness I felt, the feeling of being alone, after Itachi killed the clan, it was too painful for me to reminisce it. So once again, I focused my attention to the see-through beings around me.

But I noticed in all these sad moments, only one thing remained constant. There was always a little girl hiding in the sidelines or was the center of attention, either being scolded by what looked liked her father otherwise being punished by the latter.

For a moment there, I felt pity and compassion for the young girl. For such a fragile child doesn't deserve that kind of treatment. I knew because I had experienced it also. When I tried to take a closer look at the girl's face, a surge of pain traveled to my head. In an instant, the translucent images disappeared, including the little girl.

I collapsed in my knees, panting and grasping my head. As the pain faded away, I stood up uneasily and pondered on what just had happened. I only remembered seeing the little girl's eyes. White mixed with a soft shade of lavender. I felt my heart skip a beat. It was so full of loneliness, innocence and hope. It was like I wanted plunge down at its depths and be absorbed by its comforting gaze forever.

I shook my head. What am I thinking?

_To hell with Kakashi and training for today. I need to rest._ I walked back towards my apartment and once in a while, thought of the angelic voice and the beautiful pair of eyes trapped inside my head.

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Yuri-chan's note: A short chapter yet again. Please be so kind to review.

Thank you!


	4. Chapter 3

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

She opened her eyes as the sun shone brightly through her window. Gradually getting up, she stretched her body in attempts to drive the laziness out of her system. Once finished with her after-bed routine, she quickly took a shower, dressed up and went to get her breakfast.

'_6:32 am_' she thought as she passed by an ancient clock. _'A little late, but that will have to do.'_

As she opened the door to their dining area, she was greeted by Hanabi with an acknowledging nod and smile. "Ohayou, onee-chan."

She sat down and took a sip of her morning tea. "Ohayou, Hanabi. Neji-niisan."

The letter looked up from his meal. "Ohayou, Hinata-hime."

Before, the nickname was said with an air of mockery and insult but after the main chuunin matches these past months, after the truth about his father was known, he became notably warmer towards the main family and the nickname was know said with a tone of warmth and affection.

Hiashi, though, was another different matter. He still gave Hinata a hard time and still spoke ill of her. But lately, Hanabi was also facing the same fate. One time, Neji found her lying on the floor, badly bruised and beaten after a brutal training session. He took her in the care of Hinata, whose skills in healing have now surpassed that of Sakura or even Tsunade's assistant, Shizune though it was a well kept secret.

* * *

_Hanabi was going in and out of consciousness after that vicious training with her father. Nonetheless, she was certain of feeling a warm sensation course through her veins. She hasn't felt this warm since…_

"_Okasan…" she murmured._

_Hinata cast a sigh of relief as she watched her sister open her eyes and sit up the futon._

"_Okasan?" she softly repeated._

_Hinata smiled, immediately understanding. She bent towards Hanabi and gave her a warm embrace. "Shh… It's okay, Hanabi-chan. It's okay, nee-chan's here."_

_She felt her shirt dampen as her sister softly cried all her pain away until she could cry no more._

* * *

She smiled. Ever since the main matches, some things changed for the better. Hiashi treated Neji like he was his own son and both Hinata and Hanabi saw that it was both a good thing and a bad thing. Good thing being that they now had a big brother figure to look up to and bad thing being that they now had an OVERPROTECTIVE big brother figure to watch out for.

Their breakfast proceeded without much conversation aside from Hanabi announcing that it was certainly fortunate that their father will be gone for two full weeks. It was due to a request of the Hokage to establish an alliance with a neighboring country as duty of the head of the most prestigious clan of Konohagakure.

'_Yes.'_ Hinata thought. _'Very fortunate indeed.'_

Finished with his breakfast, Neji stood up briskly and said, "I hate to break the moment but I really must get going. Gai-sensei has arranged an early training session on the grounds."

"Training you say, eh?" quipped the youngest Hyuga. "Not a date I suppose?"

The shy Hyuga giggled as her cousin and little sister go again at one of their light teasing. "Neh, if you wouldn't mind, nii-san, Kurenai-sensei has arranged a session as well. We can go together, that way Hanabi-chan here would stop insisting that you have other plans regarding Ten-chan."

The accused who flushed to a tinge of pink, coughed in his most dignified manner and agreed that it was best. "And for the record, I am not meeting Ten-Ten."

Hanabi giggled. "Yeah, right."

"That's enough, Hanabi. Let's get going, Hinata."

"Oohh. I think someone is getting annoyed already."

"Goodbye, Hanabi." Neji bellowed and with that closed the door quite firmly.

* * *

"I think you were a little harsh, Neji-niisan." Hinata lightly scolded as the pair walked the dusty street leading to the training grounds. "Hanabi was only fooling around and you know how often those times can be."

"Iie, hime. She's quite old enough to know not to poke on serious matters."

Hinata stopped walking and raised an amused eyebrow. "Serious matters? We are still talking about Ten-chan, are we?"

The male Hyuga also halted and let out an exasperated sigh. "Not you too, hime."

She laughed. "Of course not, nii-san. I was just curious that's all. After all, you've been friends with Ten-chan for so long and if I remember correctly, you were always training together when Lee was still handicapped…"

"Well, in that case, I can say the same for Shino and Kiba, neh?" He raised an eyebrow as if daring her to defy his statement.

She sighed. "Yes, you're probably right about that."

He resumed walking. "Now, let's continue now, shall we? We don't wanna be late for our training."

Hinata smiled and ran to catch up with her cousin.

* * *

Private training with Kurenai-sensei these past few days have been very exhausting. And with her getting less than average sleep was not helping her recuperate.

"Focus, Hinata! Seize every prospect to scan the area!" the distant voice of Kurenai shouted.

She nodded and activated her byakugan, scanning the terrain with meticulous precision. She saw three bunshins coming from different directions. Calculating their movements, she spun around creating a force field of charka.

"Kaiten!"

Upon contact, all three clones were sent a few feet back and disappeared in a cloud of dust. Hinata was about to relax when she felt something behind her. Quickly throwing a kunai, she saw it embed in the chest of yet another bunshin and seized the chance to examine the area making sure there were no more opponents.

"Very good, Hina. You've been practicing well." Kurenai commented a few feet away.

"Hai. Neji-niisan has been helping me a lot."

Her sensei smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. Anyway, today's training is over. Go home and get some rest. It is obvious that you need it."

Hinata blushed. "Uh, hai. See you tomorrow, sensei." And she walked towards the nearest restaurant to satisfy her stomach's pleas.

As she quietly ate her meal, she thought of her sensei's departing words. _'Was my lack of sleep that obvious? Come to think of it, Neji-niisan and Hanabi-chan mentioned it for quite sometime now…'_

She knew that it wasn't some case or insomnia or whatever, it was just that, these past few nights she have been having these strange recurring dreams that made her wake up a few times in the middle of the night. They weren't what you can say as nightmares, but it wasn't a pleasant dream either. It always starts with her being in dangerous or even fatal scenario then proceeds to her being able to escape but somehow lands in a situation where she needs help. A mysterious man then shows up and rescues her. Every time she saw him, he was only a silhouette, like he was some sort of a shadow there to protect her and when she was finally close enough to see what lies beneath the shadow, she suddenly wakes up.

And right now, she had been hoping to Kami that those dreams would somehow improve or even give a hint of who the man in her dreams was. She knew that it was childish of her to think that but something inside her said that this man was real and he was nearby.

* * *

Yuri-chan's note: Yay! Another chapter! Review the story please! It will be very much appreciated.


	5. Chapter 4

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Chapter Four

* * *

Their sandals trudged the dusty path as they traveled under the hot morning sun. Hinata took note that they did not follow the path towards the usual training spot. She glanced at her sensei and concluded that Kurenai knew exactly where she was going. The latter probably read her expression and explained simply:

"I just think that we could use a little change in scenery."

They slowly ascended the rocky path and came upon a massive wall of stone. A few feet away was a dead end.

"We are going to train in that cliff," her sensei pointed upward. "So I suggest that you better start climbing now, Hinata-chan."

She turned to Kurenai. "But wouldn't it be easier to just --"

"Then training up there wouldn't be any different than the usual." The jounin interrupted. "No, you can't leap your way up. And I'm giving you ten minutes." She raced up the cliff and upon reaching the top; she called down to her student.

"Time starts now!"

Hinata was taken aback. Ten minutes? The cliff was nearly fifty feet high! She shook her head and went on to climbing. As she came near the stone wall, she saw a minor setback.

It turned out that the cliff was unusually smooth and finding a foothold or a rock to grab hold was extremely difficult. She attempted to climb but before she could even cover a height of ten feet, the rocks collapsed under her and she fell back down.

She coughed as the dust cleared. She raised her gaze to her sensei, who was perched comfortably above.

"Six and a half minutes. Better start moving!"

The Hyuga stood up once again and placed a hand on the stone wall, tracing its fine lines… Climbing proved futile… Now what?

Then it hit her. She smiled. How could she forget such a basic technique? She closed her eyes and focused her chakra at her feet. _'How could I have not thought of this earlier?'_ she lightly scolded herself. She gathered the right amount of energy and proceeded in racing up the cliff. Within five minutes, she emerged at the top. Kurenai greeted her with a smile.

"Good job."

"You nearly caught me on that one." said Hinata, returning the smile.

"Yeah, we had the same trial when I was young. I nearly climbed my rear off before I even thought of applying chakra skills."

The heiress giggled lightly. "I bet you were really impatient back then, sensei."

The older kunoichi waved a hand dismissively. "Well, yes. But I got better at being patient when I started teaching. Patience is a golden virtue if you have someone like Kiba, Shikamaru or Naruto as a student. Anyway, let's get going. The perfect place is just right across that plateau." She pointed ahead. It seemed exactly like the main chuunin exam arena.

"Uh… hai."

It didn't take them long to arrive at the spot but unfortunately, somebody was already training.

* * *

"Ok, try that again. Concentrate in making a solid ball on your hand."

He glared at his sensei. Or at least, the fuzzy red shadow that was supposed to be him.

"Now Sasuke, focus."

He did. Channeling his chakra to his left hand, he thought of his goal, his hatred for Itachi.

Kakashi smiled. Three weeks of training did Sasuke good. He had obtained the speed that took people like Rock Lee several years of torturous training. And now, he was moments away in truly perfecting Chidori, a move Kakashi himself developed.

A loud screeching noise echoed across the area. If some passerby will closely observe the young shinobi's hand, he will see faint lightning bolts forming. The chakra ball was now becoming more and more tangible but Sasuke was distracted when Kakashi suddenly spoke up.

"May we help you, ladies?"

Sasuke turned around. Behind Kakashi stood the jounin Kurenai and her student, the Hyuga girl. Hinata, was it?

The older woman seemed surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Kakashi turned and faced them. "For the same reason you two came all the way out here. Training."

She nodded and took a closer look at the massive boulder nearby. It was full of holes and each was smoking as if something powerful had come in contact. She looked over at her fellow jounin.

"Chidori?"

He nodded and merely pointed his thumb at his student. "He's perfecting it."

"I thought he already did."

"He has learned and applied it in combat, if that's what you mean. He still hasn't mastered it yet."

"Well since I've brought Hinata-chan here to train," Kurenai said, placing her hand on her student's shoulder. "Why don't they engage in a little sparring session?" Kakashi turned his back on them.

"No."

"And why not?" she asked, sounding outraged.

"Sasuke's strong. Hinata wouldn't stand a chance."

At this, the jounin was really outraged. "I've been training her for the past month!" she exclaimed. "I say – no, I _know_ that she's a whole lot stronger than you think."

And yet her colleague was unnerved. "Still no."

Kurenai was about to say something back when Hinata suddenly piped up, much to the jounin's surprise.

"I have gotten stronger, Kakashi-sensei and I would appreciate it very much if I was given the chance to spar with someone as powerful as your student."

"Che. Fine."

The three looked at the Uchiha. He was now standing a few feet away and was facing Hinata. He wore an unreadable expression as he fell into fighting stance.

"Since you want to spar with me so bad, I'll grant your request. Go ahead."

Hinata stood unmoving. Kakashi threw a lazy glance at his student. "I remember saying that this was a bad idea." But Sasuke ignored him.

"Are you waiting for my attack, Hyuga?" he asked her. "But just so you know, I prefer my opponents to be ready. It makes the fight more interesting."

Hinata winced. "Uh, hai." she nodded and equally fell into her own Gentle Fist stance. Meanwhile, the two jounins stood back and watched. Sasuke smirked.

"Think fast." he said and quickly vanished in front of the kunoichi.

"Shimatta!" Hinata gasped as she dodged a drop kick and hastily lunged her fist forward, only to come in contact with nothing. She sidestepped, did a full 360 kick and hit the Uchiha squarely on the chest. She then fell gracefully back into stance as she waited for his next move.

Sasuke regained his composure and again looked at his opponent. Both nodded at each other then sprinted forward, now engaging in a fierce hand-to-hand combat. After a few punches, she suddenly tackled him down, his face first into the ground. All was silent except for their heavy breathing.

"It's not fair." she muttered but Sasuke said nothing.

"You're holding back, Uchiha-san."

The male brunette couldn't help but snort at the way she addressed him so formally in such a circumstance. "So?" he replied and he felt her grip tighten.

"Please don't."

He smirked. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then make sure that you can keep up." And in a blink of an eye, Hinata was thrown backwards. She somersaulted out of the way as a dozen kunais made their way towards her. As she panted heavily, she felt the rush of excitement and adrenaline. She smiled.

A few more minutes passed and they were still sparring. It was clear that the Uchiha was more powerful yet Hinata wouldn't give up. It also happened that during the battle, both ninjas had subconsciously activated their bloodline techniques. By the time the dust cleared, they were both in the verge of exhaustion. Kakashi was impressed.

"I see that you've taught her quite a lot, Kurenai."

The woman shook her head. "Actually, I have taught her very little. It was Neji who helped her master the Byakugan. I'm just here for sparring and combat advice."

The copy ninja chuckled. "Are you really?"

Back at the sparring session, both are preparing for their final attack. Hinata was shocked to see Sasuke preparing for what looked like Chidori. Her eyes widened. _'Is he really going to do it?'_ she thought.

'_Gotcha.' _Sasuke had been waiting to catch her off guard. Immediately, he lunged forward and pinned her down. Once on the ground, he leaned towards her until their faces were a few inches apart and placed a kunai near her throat. _'Game over.'_

She opened her eyes and watched as the famous sharingan turn back to normal. She gazed at his onyx orbs, trying to fathom his being but she couldn't do so. He was a complete enigma. Strangely though, she felt a certain familiarity. Like he was some distant dream or memory.

At the same instant, he quickly noted her eyes. White mixed with a soft shade of lavender. So vulnerable and full of emotion. He felt a sense of déjà vu wash over him. What's happening?

Kakashi's voice rang in the distance.

"Guess this fight's over. Good job you two."

Hinata felt Sasuke realease the kunai and stand up. She was mildly surprised when he offered his hand and helped her stand. Their senseis were now walking towards them. Kurenai beamed.

"It was a great battle. I'm very proud of you, Hinata-chan. You too, Sasuke."

Kakashi was scratchin the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I think I owe Hinata an apology for the lack of faith." But the Hyuga shook her head.

"Iie. It's okay, Kakashi-sensei. No hard feelings."

"And since that's over, Hinata-chan and I should get back and have some lunch." said Kurenai. "Would you two like to join us?" she offered.

"We'll probably catch up later." the male jounin replied. He looked at his student who was now sitting against a boulder. "After he's rested, I'll teach him a useful little technique."

Kurenai turned to leave. "That's too bad. Anyway, let's go Hinata."

The latter, who was thinking of what happened a few moments ago, snapped from her daze. "Uh, hai. Sayonara, Kakashi-sensei. Uchiha-san."

The younger sharingan user merely grunted. He couldn't get rid of the sight of her eyes in his mind. As he glanced at her retreating form, he immediately realized that the little girl in his vision finally had a name.

And while Hinata looked back at his resting figure, it dawned upon her that the boy in her dreams finally had a face.

Hyuga Hinata.

Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

Yuri-chan's note: It has been a while, hasn't it? Well, I hope that you liked this chapter. Please read and review!


	6. Chapter 5

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Chapter Five

* * *

She was surprised to see Sasuke alone at a place such as a Ramen bar. It somewhat seemed… inappropriate, or just maybe hard to imagine. It is common knowledge in Konoha that the word **'Ramen'** usually goes hand in hand with the name **'Naruto'**. But it seems in this case, that particular piece of information is completely inaccurate.

Sasuke paused for a moment and placed his chopsticks down. He turned his head to her and knitted his eyebrows.

"Do I have something in my face?" he asked, a bit annoyed.

Hinata blushed a little. Perhaps she had been staring at him for too long. She looked down on the floor and did a tiny bow.

"Ah gomenasai, Sasuke-san." she apologized. "I was just thinking about something. Not about you, of course, but of other… things…" she stumbled on the words to say. She mentally wished to shrink away at that instant and blend with the wall. Obviously, her people skills are rather rusty.

Sasuke, on the other hand, smirked, amused at her actions. In his mind, she was a complete change of pace from the other kunoichis that he encountered. It was proof that there was still justice in this world.

A pregnant pause surrounded the air between them. Hinata nervously fidgeted in her place.

"Anou…" she started. "Thank you for sparring with me the other day."

Sasuke slurped his soup noisily. After swallowing, he gave her a loud grunt as if to acknowledge her, then continued to eat. But before Hinata could react to this, a bowl of steaming hot ramen was placed in front of her. She thanked the kind waitress while, beside her, Sasuke held out his bowl.

"More."

Hinata fought the urge to giggle. Who knew the Uchiha had a thing for ramen? She shook her head. She pulled the chair in front of her and sat down. She reached out for a pair of chopsticks, whispered a quick 'Ittadakimasu!' and proceeded to eat in peace.

As they sat at that counter, side by side, both Sasuke and Hinata feigned indifference. Their current thoughts revolved around each other but they dare not admit it. He wrinkled his nose a bit as he wondered why in the world did he had a vision about her. He didn't like it when he didn't understand anything. It made him feel…

"Weak." he muttered under his breath.

"Hm?"

Hinata turned to him. Her chopsticks were slovenly placed at the corner of her mouth and an inch or so of noodle dangled from her lips. She slurped and then pursed her lips.

"You were saying something, Sasuke-san?"

He glanced back at her. "It's nothing."

She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it. She turned back to her bowl and continued to eat; although, she couldn't help but observe the brunette in her peripheral vision. She couldn't quite comprehend the fact that she always dreamt about him. Why him of all people?

The noises in the bar were muffled. They had no time to observe their surroundings as they were completely lost in their own thoughts. Their two bowls simultaneously emptied and were placed on the countertop. Chairs moved noiselessly and both the Uchiha and the Hyuga stepped out of the ramen bar.

They were about to go on their separate ways when Sasuke looked back at the heiress' retreating form and recalled the battle they had the other day. She obviously wasn't the best fighter around, but she was talented enough. He shrugged mentally.

"Hey Hyuga." he called out.

She was a good few yards away but she still heard his call. She turned around to face him.

"Hai?"

He paused. "…Would you like to spar again?" he finally asked.

It was apparent on her face that she did not expect such an offer. She looked a little astounded.

"N-now?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Uh… Ok." she said, taking a little while to answer. "Where?"

* * *

"Here."

They were back at the rocky plateau again. Hinata assumed that no one had been there since their last sparring session, seeing that there were no new marks or signs of another battle.

She remembered the rush of excitement and adrenaline she felt as she executed those punches and kicks that day. She had never felt it when she sparred with Kiba and Shino. No matter how she begged them not to hold back, they still did; as if they were afraid of breaking her. In her mind, almost everybody, from her friends -- and even up to Neji in some ways -- were either underestimating her or afraid to hurt her. And she did not like it one bit.

But with Sasuke, it was different. Maybe it was because they hardly knew each other. After all, he's close friends with Naruto but he still manages to break a few of his bones in one of their so-called 'friendly' and 'harmless' duels.

Speaking of the devil, he was now standing a few feet away from her, waiting for her to fall into stance. No words were needed. Just actions.

In one swift movement, they launched their first blows – which, of course, were easily evaded. After ten minutes, the sounds of their attacks, their frustrated cries and their heavy breathing echoed throughout the area.

A punch here.

A punch there.

A roundhouse kick.

A sidestep.

An attack.

A counterattack.

A 360 turn.

A dozen kunais.

A hundred senbons.

A bruise here.

A cut there.

Blood.

Sweat.

Byakugan.

Sharingan.

The two ninjas somersaulted away from each other. They landed haphazardly at the terrain but remained in eye contact. Sasuke smirked at his 'opponent'.

"Not bad… for a Hyuga."

Hinata gave him a small smile. She was slowly getting used to the occasional taunts Sasuke threw her way. Normally, in this type of situation, she would easily get distracted and intimidated, but now she was feeling the exact opposite. In fact, as she sensed the sudden burst of confidence within her, she couldn't help but retort something back.

"I could say the same to you… Uchiha."

He noted the unfamiliar hint of cockiness in her voice. If it was a different situation and if he was a completely different person, he would've laughed.

She was getting more interesting by the minute.

* * *

They continued to spar non-stop for another quarter hour until they were utterly exhausted. Hinata chose to sit down then and there for she could no longer support herself due to depleted charka and possibly, dehydration.

She was taken by surprise when a hand holding out water canteen appeared in front of her. She looked up to see that the owner of the hand was – who else? – Sasuke. She couldn't help but smile at the kind gesture. She reached out for the container and took a rather short swig from it. When she offered it back to him, he made no effort to retrieve it.

"Drink it." he said. "It's yours."

Again, another small surprise. Hinata opened her mouth to protest; but before she could do so, Sasuke interrupted her by pointing to the edge of the cliff.

"There's a river below." he assured her. "I'll just get the water from there."

With that, the Hyuga simply nodded and downed the cool sweet liquid in one go. She then gave a sigh of content.

Although both of their thirsts have been quenched, Hinata knew that it would take a while for them to recuperate and continue sparring. She leaned back and laid her body against the now-cooling rock surface (clouds were now gathering up high, concealing the sun in the process).

* * *

Sasuke noted the slightly decreasing temperature. He glanced at his companion and was amused to see her drifting off for a post-training nap. He couldn't help but mentally admit that it was another interesting battle. For the first time in weeks, he had found an acceptable sparring partner… and a kunoichi no less.

'_What am I thinking?'_ he said to himself.

In the end, he decided to refill his canteen so as to get rid of his thirst and divert his attention to something else. He lazily stood up and went down to the edge of the cliff.

* * *

Going down such a steep cliff was slightly risky business for Sasuke; especially that he couldn't apply chakra skills in his current state. Finding footholds and cracks also proved to be a near-impossible task.

But of course, he was the infamous prodigy. He wasn't going to give up that easily. His ego won't permit him to do so.

The river was now inches below his feet; all he had to do was simply bend down and…

"Ahh!"

Sasuke felt as if a red hot wire was placed at the nape of his neck.

The cursed seal.

He let out a string of profanities; of all the wrong timing, the damn seal just had to act up now. What luck.

The canteen in his hand dropped as he grabbed the part where it stung. He looked beyond his blurry vision and saw that his other hand was slipping fast.

"Shit."

It was the last word that escaped Uchiha Sasuke's lips before he fell into the river.

* * *

She hastily opened her eyes and sat up upon hearing a distinct splash from the river below. When she saw that Sasuke wasn't there, her initial thought was that it was he who fell in the river.

'_He couldn't have fallen.'_ she told herself. _'He's careful enough not to slip.'_

No matter how many times she assured and reassured herself, she still couldn't quite shake off the worry. Finally, she resolved to check it out. She cautiously approached the edge and looked below using her byakugan. Her eyes widened.

"Uchiha-san!"

She could see his body being dragged away by the raging river. Based on his movements (or lack thereof), he was either unconscious or too exhausted to swim.

She knew she had to act fast. Luckily, she had a long piece of rope in her back pouch. She quickly tied one end on a kunai then held it in her mouth. She removed her jacket then dove down to the rampant waters below.

Immediately, when she caught up with him, she slung one of his arms on her shoulder and supported his weight. By using her free hand, she grabbed the kunai in her mouth and used most of her remaining energy in throwing it towards the cliff.

She silently thanked the heavens when the kunai landed firmly on a crevice. She grabbed the other end of the rope and held on for dear life.

Just when she thought that they were out of danger, things suddenly developed regrettably.

The river proved to be a formidable foe because as the seconds tick by, she felt the friction slowly burn her palm. Fighting against the flow was harder than it seemed.

"NO!" she silently screamed as the rope snapped and searing pain erupted in her hand. To make things worse, she had lost hold on Sasuke.

* * *

He could tell that he was sinking. His vision was slowly fading and the pain the seal was giving him didn't help much either.

He cursed. Drowning, in his mind, was a pathetic way of dying. In fact, he didn't want to die; at least, not until he was through with his bastard of a brother. And with the mere knowledge that he still isn't powerful enough to defeat him… well, let's just say it wasn't the thought he wanted to bring along.

His lungs were already screaming for oxygen. _'Breathe, you bastard!'_ his gut feeling kept on telling him. _'Breathe!'_ He fought his instincts. He held his breath for a few more seconds until he couldn't take it anymore.

A large bubble of air escaped him. Well, there goes the last bit.

Fuck.

Everything in his world was about to completely disappear. Then, he suddenly felt something brush against his lips and provide something he desperately needed.

Air. Glorious air.

Then there was darkness.

* * *

Underwater, Hinata lightly patted Sasuke's cheek.

"Wake up, Sasuke-san." she mentally pleaded. "Please wake up. Don't do this."

She encircled her lithe arms around him and kicked towards the surface. As both of their heads broke through, Hinata saw how far the water has carried them in such a short span of time.

They were now on a smooth ride downstream, far from the plateau and probably a mile away from the village proper. She was already getting dizzy due to the fact that she overworked her body way beyond the recommended capacity. Anymore strain and would probably be dangerous – if not, fatal.

Miraculously, she had managed to drag both their bodies to the river bank. She looked at the brunette and was utterly relieved to his chest rise and fall steadily. At last they were out of harm's way.

"Yokatta." she whispered.

And she finally collapsed on the damp earth, her hand falling next to his.

* * *

Yuri-chan's note: Hope you guys liked this as much as I liked making this chapter.

Reviews are very very much appreciated. Thank you!


	7. Chapter 6

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

He woke up to see the blue sky slowly turn into a soft shade of orange.

'_Where the hell am I?'_

The steady sound of the river flowing answered his question. He was thankful that the pain on his shoulder had subsided. Apart from the fact that he was cold and still dripping wet, he was fine. He sat up and vaguely recalled the events.

_Hinata…_

He heard a barely audible cough beside him. There she was, lying face down on the ground, without a jacket, and slightly shivering. She was now a display of complete vulnerability, of utter weakness…

And yet she looked strangely serene. Peaceful. Almost beautiful.

He felt his heart skip a beat. Why was he suddenly feeling like this? He shook his head. They should probably get a move on before night completely sets in. Not that he had any problem with that, but of course, somebody was bound to notice their -- or more accurately, HER absence. After all, she had a family waiting for her, right?

He knitted his brows at the thought of the F word. _'Now's not the time to think about that.'_ he said bitterly to himself. He inched closer to Hinata and moved her up his back. He put his arms under her legs and stood up without a hitch (much credit going to her light weight). He shifted her body in a more comfortable position and then proceeded to walk back to Konoha.

* * *

'Where could she be?'

Hyuga Neji had asked himself that question for the third time that night. Usually, his cousin would be home way before sunset but now, she was late. The sun had already disappeared three hours ago. He tapped his foot impatiently at the concrete floor.

"Nii-san?"

He turned to see Hanabi standing beside him, holding two hot cups of tea. The moon shone brightly above and made her look paler than usual. She offered him a cup and then sat down. They were silent for a few more moments until she finally spoke up.

"I'm not really worried."

At this, Neji smiled but said nothing. He knew that Hanabi was equally worried as he was. It was just that her pride wouldn't let her admit it out loud.

Another half-hour had passed – both cups now empty of its content -- when they finally heard distinct footsteps from beyond the wall. Hanabi stood up and ran to open the gates while Neji sighed and calmly followed. As he neared his younger cousin, however, he noticed her take a step back. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Hanabi, what's wrong? Who is it?"

He opened the gates and saw somebody whom he did not expect.

Uchiha Sasuke was standing outside, carrying a sleeping Hinata in his back.

* * *

"Uchiha."

He noticed the hint of iciness and suspicion in Hyuga Neji's voice. '_So this was the welcoming committee? Well, seems like the lack of people skills runs in the family.'_

He bit back the urge to snort at his own private little joke. He maintained the stoic and stony expression on his face and replied with the same amount of distaste he received.

"Hyuga."

The latter narrowed his eyes. "What did you do to her?"

"What are you talking about? I'm just dropping her off."

"And why is she with YOU, of all people?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "It's none of your business."

"Don't play dumb with me," Neji growled. "You aren't exactly the best of friends."

"Hyuga, the fact that you hate my guts doesn't exactly mean that she does too."

"Why you—"

"Ugh, can't you two just go and hate each other in the morning? My sister's already freezing!"

It wasn't until he heard her high-pitched voice did Sasuke notice the younger Hyuga's presence. He looked at her then back at Neji, who also seemed to have temporarily forgotten about her. They stood there unmoving until the male Hyuga took a step closer and took Hinata off his back. He glared at him for a few more seconds and then abruptly turned to bring his cousin inside.

Sasuke stood there, not quite expecting to be left alone with Hyuga Hanabi. From his initial impression, she seemed brash and aggressive. A complete contrast of Hinata. He shoved his hands at his pockets and shrugged.

"Well, that's that. I'm leaving."

He was about to walk away when he heard her say something he did not anticipate.

"Thank you, Uchiha-san, for bringing her home."

He turned to see her staring at him. She didn't give him a smile or a frown. She simply gave him an acknowledging nod then turned to go back to the house. Halfway through, she tilted her head back at him.

"But for the record, I don't like you very much."

* * *

She could still feel the sensation of waves lightly crashing into her, back and forth.'What happened?'

She didn't feel so cold anymore. Maybe her skin became numb while she was unconscious.

Or…

Did she drown? Was she dead?

_Sasuke…_

She remembered being washed into the riverbank. She tried to dig her nails into the damp earth for reassurance but instead, she found herself holding a fistful of cloth. She immediately opened her eyes. She was now back in her room in the Hyuga manor. She sat up.

'How did I get in here?'

She wondered if it was all a dream. It all seemed so real… Too real.

She got up from her bed and went into the shower. She dressed into her typical knee-length leggings and black undershirt, then reached out to grab her jacket. Her hand froze in midair when she realized that she left it on the top of the cliff.

"So it did happen." she said to herself. She lightly shook her head, took off her shirt and dressed into a purple Chinese-style shirt that Ten-ten once gave to her. _'Now we can pass off as sisters!'_ she had told the shy Hyuga jokingly.

Hinata smiled at the memory. With one last glance in the mirror, she silently walked downstairs for breakfast. As expected, Neji and Hanabi were waiting for her at the table and before she could even sit down, she was already bombarded with questions.

"What happened to you last night, nee-chan?"

"And why were you with Uchiha?" Neji immediately followed.

Hinata blinked, a little overwhelmed.

"I saw him at Ichiraku's yesterday. Then he asked for a sparring session after. I guess we just lost track of time."

"And?"

"Nothing more, Hanabi-chan. But," Hinata looked confusedly at her sister. "How did I get home last night? The last thing I remember was being wa-- falling asleep after the sparring." _'Maybe I shouldn't mention about the river.'_ she thought to herself.

"Well, that's the exact reason we're interrogating you, nee-chan. Uchiha-san carried you here."

The shy heiress felt heat rise to her cheeks. "He did?" _'Then I have to thank him when I see him.'_

"Yes he did." Neji affirmed then continued on. "So you mean to say, that after all this time you two spent not communicating with each other, you both suddenly decided to be sparring buddies?" His voice betrayed suspicion.

Noticing that her older cousin was on the verge of exploding, Hinata held out both of her hands to reaasure him.

"Please nii-san, don't antagonize him so much. He's not as bad as you think."

Neji gave her a long, hard look then sighed. He leaned back on the chair, with his hand on the bridge of his nose. Hinata sounded like she knew what she had gotten into.

"Forgive me, Hinata-sama." He said, his hand reaching for his teacup. "It's just that I do not trust Uchiha very much."

Hinata smiled. "I understand."

Things would have been fine if it weren't for Hanabi suddenly asking, out of the blue, "Nee-chan tell me, when you were sparring, did he hit on you?"

Neji nearly spluttered out the tea that he was drinking. He and Hinata looked bewilderedly at the younger Hyuga, hoping that she was only joking. She wasn't. She was looking at her older sister with her most serious face, patiently waiting for an answer.

"Pardon me?"

"You heard me, nee-chan. Did Uchiha-san hit on you?"

"Hanabi," Hinata said, controlling the raging blush that was forming on her cheeks. "Why in the world would he hit on me?"

"Just a feeling. And because, like what nii-san is trying to say, I find the 'sparring buddies' scenario a tad bit suspicious."

"Well, he didn't violate me if that's what you mean." Hinata said exasperatedly, rising to her feet. "Now if you'll excuse me, Hanabi-chan, Neji-niisan, I have a few errands to run."

And before her sister and cousin could speak, Hinata was already out the door. She was more than glad upon doing so. Things were certainly getting embarassing back there and to think, her little sister had the crazy idea that THE Uchiha Sasuke would ever put the moves on her. For a moment there, Hanabi made him sound like he was some suave Casanova or something.

It was just too silly to even think about.

_'And after all,'_ she silently thought. _'Why would he take interest in me when there are more beautiful girls around like Ino-chan?'_

She was about to turn at the corner of the street when suddenly, a voice called out from behind her.

"Hey Hyuga."

"Sasuke-san!" Hinata exclaimed, surprised to see him casually leaning on a wall a few feet away. It was as if he was waiting for her. "Anou, how are you feeling?"

The brunette merely shrugged. "I should be asking you that question."

Hinata blushed. "Oh, right. By the way," she hesitated a bit. "My sister told me that you brought me home last night."

"Yeah. So?"

"Thank you."

The Uchiha remained immobile. He turned to the direction where he came from and proceeded to walk. After a few steps, he looked back at her. He seemed terribly annoyed at something.

"Are you coming or not?"

* * *

She found herself following him up to the northern part of the city. It was once where the great Uchiha clan lived. She was extremely curious as to why they were there.

"No offense, Sasuke-san, but do you still live all the way out here?" she asked.

"I don't. I just come up here when I need silence."

"Oh, is that right?"

They stopped at what seemed as an old shrine. It was abandoned, just like the rest of the houses nearby.

"Here."

Hinata looked back just in time to catch a familiar object.

"My jacket!" she exclaimed. "How did you—"

She stopped in mid-sentence. She closed her mouth and gave him a tiny smile instead. She realized that it must be awkward for Sasuke to be in this situation. After all, he wasn't exactly known for being a thoughtful and sweet gentleman, right?

"Anou, would you mind if I didn't wear the jacket right now?"

* * *

Sasuke now hated the fact that blushing was an entirely involuntary movement. He was known for being an enigmatic loner, for crissakes! And yet, she's here looking at him in a way that was annoying and at the same time, irritatingly cute. And it was all for her stupid jacket. Why did he even bother to wake up early just to get it back from the cliff, anyway?

He shrugged, trying to look cool. "Why are you asking me for?"

Hinata shook her head. "Nothing." She took the jacket and tied it around her waist. She turned her back and proceeded to examine the shrine. Meanwhile, Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"You look better without it anyway." He muttered under his breath.

He mentally slapped himself. He did not just say that. He felt the blush on his cheeks deepen. His ego had already suffered a beating when she 'saved' him from the river yesterday, but now he was muttering _compliments_. He couldn't do anything but blame her for it. And besides, he had one more thing to clear with the heiress.

He cleared his throat to catch her attention. She looked up from where she was kneeling and gave a questioning look.

"Yes? What is it, Sasuke-san?"

"You kissed me." he said, his voice dead-pan.

Hinata did a double take. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, _you kissed me_. On the river. When you were 'saving' me." He emphazised the word 'saving' by using air-quotes.

"...It was a violation of my personnal space."

* * *

_She felt her adrenaline rush quickly as she swam. Sasuke wasn't that far from her now. All she had to do was reach for him and… _

_Where was he? She stopped and frantically looked around. She couldn't see him anymore. She had no choice but to dive. It was the only other way he would've gone. Down._

_Sure enough, she saw him slowly sinking and losing consciousness. She quickly swam back up the surface, took a deep breath then dove back down to him. _

_'Please Kami-sama,' She prayed. 'Please let this work.'_

_She placed her hands on the sides of his face, crashed her lips unto his and gave him a lungful of air._

* * *

Hinata blinked, not quite sure if she was hearing Sasuke correctly. Was he out of his mind? "Well technically, it wasn't a kiss, Sasuke-san. And besides, if I hadn't done that, you wouldv'e surely drowned." She pointed out.

"It was only a matter of time before I got out of that predicament."

"A-a..." Hinata's lower lip quivered. She couldn't think of anything to say. The awkwardness was becoming too much to bear. She wouldn't be surprised if smoke came out of her ears. Her face must be red as a tomato right now.

"Well," He said, taking a step towards her. "I guess this calls for a payback."

Without warning, Hanabi's voice echoed back in her mind.

_"You heard me, nee-chan. Did he hit on you?"_

Hinata's head shot up. She was on the verge of panicking. She wanted to run as fast as she can but she felt as if she was rooted on the spot. And before another rational thought could enter her mind, she felt something moist and sweet lightly pressed against her lips.

It didn't take her long enough to figure out what was happening.

He, Uchiha Sasuke, was now kissing her, Hyuga Hinata.

And what's more surprising is that she isn't minding it so much this time anymore.

* * *

Yuri-chan's Note: At long last, an improvement at the "romance" area. I hope you guys enjoyed that. Please tell me what you think.


	8. Chapter 7

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Chapter Seven

* * *

It was barely a ten-second kiss. They both broke away at the same instant when they realized that they were _thisclose_ to the edge of enjoying the moment.

It was weird. Maybe the good kind of weird, but weird nonetheless.

A million and one thoughts raced in Hinata's head. The questions why, why and why echoed inside her mind. Things just got a little more confusing. But in the end, she decided to not think about it. Period. It may seem a bit out of character for her but she figured, it was best to avoid anymore awkwardness in the already strange relationship (friendship?) she had with the Uchiha.

She would try to act as if she didn't just lock lips with a much sought-after boy in the village... She would not speak a word of it unless he was the one who opened up issue – which she highly doubt would happen... She'll pretend that... That...

"Oh, forget it." She sighed.

"I'm trying." Came the reply.

Hinata squeaked. She didn't mean for him to hear that.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was also having a mental battle of his own. He honestly did not know what came over him. _'I guess this calls for a payback?'_ Jeez. That was lame. Even Jiraiya wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole. He should've at least thought of a cooler and more nonchalant statement.

He intended to kiss her. It was part of his somewhat twisted logic. She 'kissed' him without his permission back at the river, so he deemed it 'appropriate' to return the 'favor'. What he didn't expect, however, was for him to _actually_ like it.

Maybe he should go and nearly drown himself more when she was nearby.

Or just maybe catch her off guard like this more often.

'Or just have Neji and Hanabi castrate you.' His inner self suggested.

No thanks.

Hinata broke into his thoughts. "I should head back." She said.

"Ah... Do you want me to accompany you?" He felt the need to ask.

"Uhm, I don't know. I wouldn't want you to feel obliged or anything. Just because..."

Great. So much for her decision of not bringing it up. As for him, he fought the urge to heave a sigh of relief.

"I understand."

"Well, bye." She gave him a little awkward wave and promptly left without looking back. It was a surprise that she didn't break into a run at the rate she was 'walking'.

* * *

Two figures stood a good distance away from where Sasuke and Hinata were. One of them – a woman with snow white hair that flowed freely past her back and with rich violet eyes – looked quite pleased at the turn of events. Her companion – a heavily cloaked individual – however, was an entirely different matter.

He did not like what he saw. He did not like it one bit.

This isn't a fairy tale. And there would be no happily ever after.

He would make sure of it.

* * *

Yuri-chan's Note: Forgive the short chapter. I just felt the need to build a little bit of tension. Don't worry, the next installment is well on the way. But please, please, please **take the time to review**. It would make me very happy.

By the way, this chapter is dedicated to **kenshinlover2002**. You may not realize this, but I owe you a lot. Thank you. :)


	9. Chapter 8

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Chapter Eight

* * *

Hinata was quietly reading in her study when all of a sudden, her sister Hanabi barged in. Some strands of her hair were out of place – probably caused by the wind – and she was slightly out of breath. She stood there in her sister's door for a little while then broke into a large grin.

"Onee-chan, guess what? I just heard that there will be a festival next week!"

Hinata stared questioningly at her little sister.

"A festival?"

Hanabi nodded enthusiastically. "Don't you remember? Tanabata!"

"Oh!" How could she forget? Next Monday would be the seventh. "I guess it just sort of slipped from my mind, Hanabi-chan. After all, it's been a while since the last one right?"

"Yeah. Though Iruka-sensei told us that Tsunade-sama wants a real big traditional festival to make up for it."

It was due to the preparations for the chunnin exams and the death of the Third Hokage that Konoha has failed to celebrate the Tanabata for the past two years. Now that things have been going well, it was quite understandable that the village would want to continue celebrating such a joyous and wonderful tradition again.

Hinata smiled. "I can't wait to see you dressed up for it, Hanabi-chan. I'll bet you'll look very pretty."

"W-what?!" she spluttered. When it came to her looks, Hanabi wasn't used to compliments. She always thought that her sister was very pretty and that she would never come close to her. In her mind, she will always be the scruffy and tomboyish one. She shook her head.

"Quit changing the subject! Anyway, they said that watching the stars on the night of the festival is supposed to be _romantic_."

Hinata saw the mischievious glint in her sister's eyes. She knew where she was getting at so she made a smart move and beat her to it.

"Are they really?" she said. "Well, in that case, I do hope Konohamaru-kun picks up the courage to ask you to come with him. I know how much you'd HATE to be stuck with me and Neji-niisan."

"I heard he already did."

Hanabi jumped a bit upon seeing her older cousin behind her. She stumbled a bit further into the room, all the while trying her best not to look at either of them. On her face was a blush that could rival her sister's. Hinata couldn't help but stifle her laughter; she had never seen her sister look so out of character. Neji, meanwhile, smirked teasingly at the girl in front of him.

"A little bird told me that the pipsqueak asked you on a date… and you accepted. Am I right Hanabi?"

"As if! I can't even stand him!"

"Oh? Then why are you blushing?"

"None of your business!"

* * *

She swirled her chopsticks lazily on the bowl full of warm broth. It's been a month since her last _encounter_ with the Uchiha. Things have gone back to normal and she had, once again, surrendered into her previous daily routine.

But it seems the monotony would be disrupted YET AGAIN.

All because she saw him. And at Ichiraku's, of all places.

Or was it he who saw her? She was there first, after all.

He took the chair beside her – the one found in the very corner. He gave her a curt nod before placing his order and proceeded to stare at the spot of dirt found on the kitchen wall opposite him.

"Have you heard about the celebration next week?" she politely asked, in hopes of making a conversation; though she was pretty sure that he wasn't the type to indulge.

"Hn."

"…"

"Will you be going?"

If not for the lack of people around them, she would have mistaken his voice for somebody else's.

She offered a shy smile. "Uh, I guess so. How about you? I suppose you'll go with Naruto-kun and Sakura-san?"

"Maybe."

"Oh, I see..."

A few silent moments passed as she finished her meal. She mumbled a final word of thanks and placed a few coins at the countertop.

"Well, I must be going. I do hope to see you at the festival, Sasuke-san. Ja."

"Where are you going?"

She felt a bit of surprise from his sudden question. Did he want her to stay? Though the answer seemed a bit obvious, she decided to answer for his sake.

"I'm heading home. It's been a tiring day. And one more thing," She nodded at the wall right next to Sasuke. "I think Kakashi-sensei wants to talk to you."

True enough, the silver-haired jounin shed his 'disguise' and stepped out of his 'hiding place'. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he fell on the empty chair on Hinata's other side.

"You caught me there. But really Hinata, you don't really have to leave."

"It's ok sensei, I'm done eating anyway. Besides, I wouldn't want to intrude on your discussion."

"Nonsense. I am actually grateful that Sasuke is talking to somebody apart from his teammates and me for a change."

Hinata chuckled lightly. "No worries, sensei. The pleasure is all mine. Now if you'll please excuse me, I really have to go."

"Oh, okay then. Take care Hinata." Kakashi smiled wholeheartedly as he waved at her retreating form.

They both looked on as she walked away. Only after she disappeared at the corner did one of them speak out.

"You talk as if I avoid people on purpose." Sasuke suddenly said.

Kakashi patted his student's head, which was greatly unappreciated by the latter. "That's because you DO Sasuke. May I point out that you didn't even bother to acknowledge my presence despite the fact that I was standing on the wall RIGHT NEXT TO YOU this whole time? Or you didn't notice?"

Sasuke snorted. "I just figured if I ignored you long enough, you'd leave."

"What, so you could spend more time with Hinata?"

"Idiot."

* * *

They could see the village slowly liven up as the festival approaches. Before they knew it, the night of the festival had come.

"Wow," Konohamaru stared in awe as he stood outside the Hyuga manor's front door. "you look like a real gir-- OW! What was that for?!" He exclaimed, rubbing the now sore spot where Hanabi had punched him.

She was wearing a pink yukata with goldfish patterns all over. Her long raven hair, which was usually unkept, was now gathered at one side in a simple ponytail. Her face was contorted into a frown as she glared daggers at her 'date' -- although, there were traces of pink on her cheeks. Hinata giggled. The scene before her was just too cute.

"Shut up! You should be thankful that I agreed to go with you in the first place!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm thankful, geez."

Neji chuckled as they watched the young 'couple' walk out the gate, still in the middle of a silly argument. He then turned to his other cousin and offered his arm to her. "Shall we, hime?"

Hinata laughed as she looped her arm around his. "Why certainly."

Tonight was certainly going to be interesting.

* * *

Yuri-chan's note: An update! As for the KonoHana bit, I just simply had to put it. I think they're a cute couple.

Please review. I would be very happy if you did!


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